A Pilot Partnership to Provide Health Information to Cancer Patients and Families

Objectives: McGoogan Library of Medicine at University of Nebraska Medical Center launched a pilot partnership with the new Resource and Wellness Center at Fred and Pamela Buffett Cancer Center in Omaha, NE. The goals of this pilot were to provide patients and families with easy access to quality health information, assess the health information needs of cancer patients and their families, and explore the demand for library services in the resource center. Methods: From June 2017 through March 2018, library faculty and staff worked daily shifts at the Resource and Wellness Center and answered consumer health questions. Statistics were compiled on the number and type of health information questions received. Librarians also helped select consumer health books and brochures. The library gathered additional feedback through meetings with the Oncology Patient and Family Advisory Council, clinical staff, and health system administrators. Results: Library faculty and staff spent 656 hours at the Resource and Wellness Center and received thirty-two requests for consumer health information. Most questions were related to a specific type of cancer, resources for coping, and practical issues such as financial assistance for treatments. The resource center now has a small collection of print materials, and an index was created to assist staff with navigating the information materials when a librarian is not present. Meetings with stakeholder groups provided insight on the organizational culture of the cancer center, and recommendations for improving engagement with patients and families. Lessons learned during this pilot will be shared during the poster presentation. Conclusions: McGoogan Library adds value to the Resource and Wellness Center by providing patients, families, and staff with expertise in identifying and accessing quality health information to support cancer care. Feedback from stakeholders has affirmed the importance of the library’s continued involvement in this space. The pilot has helped make librarians more accessible to cancer patients and families and increased the number of consumer health information requests the library receives. Future activities will include creating new library marketing materials specific to cancer patients and health providers, continuing to develop the collection of print materials, implementing an evaluation form to assess patron satisfaction, and launching a pilot tablet-lending program

On kernel engineering via Paley–Wiener

A radial basis function approximation takes the form $$s(x)=\sum_{k=1}^na_k\phi(x-b_k),\quad x\in {\mathbb{R}}^d,$$ where the coefficients a 1,…,a n are real numbers, the centres b 1,…,b n are distinct points in ℝ d , and the function φ:ℝ d →ℝ is radially symmetric. Such functions are highly useful in practice and enjoy many beautiful theoretical properties. In particular, much work has been devoted to the polyharmonic radial basis functions, for which φ is the fundamental solution of some iterate of the Laplacian. In this note, we consider the construction of a rotation-invariant signed (Borel) measure μ for which the convolution ψ=μ φ is a function of compact support, and when φ is polyharmonic. The novelty of this construction is its use of the Paley–Wiener theorem to identify compact support via analysis of the Fourier transform of the new kernel ψ, so providing a new form of kernel engineering

On spherical averages of radial basis functions

A radial basis function (RBF) has the general form $$s(x)=\sum_{k=1}^{n}a_{k}\phi(x-b_{k}),\quad x\in\mathbb{R}^{d},$$ where the coefficients a 1,…,a n are real numbers, the points, or centres, b 1,…,b n lie in ℝ d , and φ:ℝ d →ℝ is a radially symmetric function. Such approximants are highly useful and enjoy rich theoretical properties; see, for instance (Buhmann, Radial Basis Functions: Theory and Implementations, [2003]; Fasshauer, Meshfree Approximation Methods with Matlab, [2007]; Light and Cheney, A Course in Approximation Theory, [2000]; or Wendland, Scattered Data Approximation, [2004]). The important special case of polyharmonic splines results when φ is the fundamental solution of the iterated Laplacian operator, and this class includes the Euclidean norm φ(x)=‖x‖ when d is an odd positive integer, the thin plate spline φ(x)=‖x‖2log  ‖x‖ when d is an even positive integer, and univariate splines. Now B-splines generate a compactly supported basis for univariate spline spaces, but an analyticity argument implies that a nontrivial polyharmonic spline generated by (1.1) cannot be compactly supported when d>1. However, a pioneering paper of Jackson (Constr. Approx. 4:243–264, [1988]) established that the spherical average of a radial basis function generated by the Euclidean norm can be compactly supported when the centres and coefficients satisfy certain moment conditions; Jackson then used this compactly supported spherical average to construct approximate identities, with which he was then able to derive some of the earliest uniform convergence results for a class of radial basis functions. Our work extends this earlier analysis, but our technique is entirely novel, and applies to all polyharmonic splines. Furthermore, we observe that the technique provides yet another way to generate compactly supported, radially symmetric, positive definite functions. Specifically, we find that the spherical averaging operator commutes with the Fourier transform operator, and we are then able to identify Fourier transforms of compactly supported functions using the Paley–Wiener theorem. Furthermore, the use of Haar measure on compact Lie groups would not have occurred without frequent exposure to Iserles’s study of geometric integration

Probabilistic forecasts of storm sudden commencements from interplanetary shocks using machine learning

In this study we investigate the ability of several different machine learning models to provide probabilistic predictions as to whether interplanetary shocks observed upstream of the Earth at L1 will lead to immediate (Sudden Commencements, SCs) or longer lasting magnetospheric activity (Storm Sudden Commencements, SSCs). Four models are tested including linear (Logistic Regression), non‐linear (Naive Bayes and Gaussian Process) and ensemble (Random Forest) models, and are shown to provide skillful and reliable forecasts of SCs with Brier Skill Scores (BSSs) of ~ 0:3 and ROC scores > 0:8. The most powerful predictive parameter is found to be the range in the interplanetary magnetic field. The models also produce skillful forecasts of SSCs, though with less reliability than was found for SCs. The BSSs and ROC scores returned are ~0:21 and 0.82 respectively. The most important parameter for these predictions was found to be the minimum observed BZ. The simple parameterization of the shock was tested by including additional features related to magnetospheric indices and their changes during shock impact, resulting in moderate increases in reliability. Several parameters, such as velocity and density, may be able to be more accurately predicted at a longer lead time, e.g. from heliospheric imagery. When the input was limited to the velocity and density the models were found to perform well at forecasting SSCs, though with lower reliability than previously (BSSs ~ 0:16, ROC Scores ~ 0:8), Finally, the models were tested with hypothetical extreme data beyond current observations, showing dramatically different extrapolations

Evaluating auroral forecasts against satellite observations

The aurora is a readily visible phenomenon of interest to many members of the public. However, the aurora and associated phenomena can also significantly impact communications, ground-based infrastructure, and high-altitude radiation exposure. Forecasting the location of the auroral oval is therefore a key component of space weather forecast operations. A version of the OVATION-Prime 2013 auroral precipitation model (Newell et al., 2014, https://doi.org/10.1002/2014sw001056) was used by the UK Met Office Space Weather Operations Centre (MOSWOC). The operational implementation of the OVATION-Prime 2013 model at the UK Met Office delivered a 30-min forecast of the location of the auroral oval and the probability of observing the aurora. Using weather forecast evaluation techniques, we evaluate the ability of the OVATION-Prime 2013 model forecasts to predict the location and probability of the aurora occurring by comparing the forecasts with auroral boundaries determined from data from the IMAGE satellite between 2000 and 2002. Our analysis shows that the operational model performs well at predicting the location of the auroral oval, with a relative operating characteristic (ROC) score of 0.82. The model performance is reduced in the dayside local time sectors (ROC score = 0.59) and during periods of higher geomagnetic activity (ROC score of 0.55 for Kp = 8). As a probabilistic forecast, OVATION-Prime 2013 tends to underpredict the occurrence of aurora by a factor of 1.1–6, while probabilities of over 90% are overpredicted

Humpback whale (Megaptera novaeangliae) distribution and movements in the vicinity of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands Marine Protected Area

Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) are showing strong recovery from commercial whaling in the western South Atlantic. In this region, humpback whales migrate annually from their winter breeding grounds off the coast of Brazil to their summer feeding grounds near to the Polar Front, an area that includes the waters of South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (SGSSI). This latter region includes a Marine Protected Area (MPA), which has been developed to ensure sustainable management of fisheries, and protection of foraging predators. To date, management measures within the MPA have primarily been concerned with foraging predators that rely upon Antarctic krill, including for a number of previously over-exploited species. This includes the regional humpback whale population now in recovery in the western South Atlantic. With humpback whales increasing, understanding their spatiotemporal distribution within the MPA is important as it will help inform management particularly in respect of interactions between humpback whales and the regional fishery for Antarctic krill. Here we develop habitat models from the distribution and movement patterns of 16 individuals at their high-latitude feeding grounds, south of 50°S. We show that whale habitat use varies throughout the foraging period. Upon reaching their feeding ground, whales use the area to the east of the South Sandwich Islands, moving westward into the centre of the Scotia Arc and towards South Georgia during the high summer, and then expanding back towards the east in the winter. Based on these findings, we discuss the implications for the future, including necessary research required for underpinning management

H3K79me2/3 controls enhancer-promoter interactions and activation of the pan-cancer stem cell marker PROM1/CD133 in MLL-AF4 leukemia cells

Altres ajuts: Acknowledgements TAM, LG, NTC, I-JL, RT, JRH, and SR were funded by Medical Research Council (MRC, UK) Molecular Haematology Unit grant MC_UU_12009/6, MC_UU_00016/6, and MR/ M003221/1. AR was supported by a Bloodwise Clinician Scientist Fellowship (grants: 14041 and 17001), Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Career Development Fellowship (216632/Z/19/Z), Lady Tata Memorial International Fellowship, and EHA-ASH Translational Research Training in Hematology Fellowship. SOB was funded by the Department of Paediatrics and Alexander Thatte Fund, University of Oxford. DJHFK is funded by a CIHR Postdoctoral Fellowship. IR is supported by the NIHR Oxford BRC, by a Bloodwise Program Grant (13001) and by the MRC Molecular Haematology Unit (MC_UU_12009/14). PV via the Molecular Haematology Unit (MC_UU_12009) and the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Oxford Biomedical Research Centre (BRC) Programme. We would like to acknowledge the WIMM Flow Cytometry Facility which is supported by the MRC HIU, MRC MHU (MC_UU_12009), NIHR Oxford BRC, Kay Kendall Leukemia Fund (KKL1057), John Fell Fund (131/030 and 101/517), the EPA fund (CF182 and CF170), and by the WIMM Strategic Alliance awards G0902418 and MC_UU_12025. We thank the High-Throughput Genomics Group at the Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics (funded by Wellcome Trust Grant Reference 090532/Z/09/Z); the MRC WIMM Centre for Computational Biology (CCB), Radcliffe Department of Medicine, University of Oxford; and Jelena Telenius for the use of her pipelines. B-ALL work in PM's lab is financially supported by [...], the Fundación Uno entre Cienmil, the Fundación Leo Messi. PM also acknowledges structural support from the Obra Social La Caixa-Fundaciò Josep Carreras. The human fetal material was provided by the Joint MRC/ Wellcome Trust Grant 099175/Z/ 12/Z Human Developmental Biology Resource (http://hdbr.org). We gratefully acknowledge the kind generosity of patients, their parents, and staff at Great Ormond Street Hospital, London.MLL gene rearrangements (MLLr) are a common cause of aggressive, incurable acute lymphoblastic leukemias (ALL) in infants and children, most of which originate in utero. The most common MLLr produces an MLL-AF4 fusion protein. MLL-AF4 promotes leukemogenesis by activating key target genes, mainly through recruitment of DOT1L and increased histone H3 lysine-79 methylation (H3K79me2/3). One key MLL-AF4 target gene is PROM1, which encodes CD133 (Prominin-1). CD133 is a pentaspan transmembrane glycoprotein that represents a potential pan-cancer target as it is found on multiple cancer stem cells. Here we demonstrate that aberrant PROM1/CD133 expression is essential for leukemic cell growth, mediated by direct binding of MLL-AF4. Activation is controlled by an intragenic H3K79me2/3 enhancer element (KEE) leading to increased enhancer-promoter interactions between PROM1 and the nearby gene TAPT1. This dual locus regulation is reflected in a strong correlation of expression in leukemia. We find that in PROM1/CD133 non-expressing cells, the PROM1 locus is repressed by polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2) binding, associated with reduced expression of TAPT1, partially due to loss of interactions with the PROM1 locus. Together, these results provide the first detailed analysis of PROM1/CD133 regulation that explains CD133 expression in MLLr ALL

Modelling the nucleation, growth and coarsening kinetics of γ^″ (D0<inf>22</inf>) precipitates in the Ni-base Alloy 625

Alloy 625 is susceptible to significant precipitation hardening through the formation of γ″ (D022-NbNi3) particles. These precipitates can form both during manufacture and in high temperature service and, consequently, the accurate prediction of their behaviour is crucial. To this end, a model is presented here which describes γ″ precipitation in Alloy 625, encompassing the concurrent nucleation, growth and coarsening of different particles and allowing for the particles to be shape changing. This model is calibrated with respect to the experimentally measured aspect ratio evolution observed at 650 °C. The resultant outputs for interfacial energy, particle size distribution and number density are in agreement with experimental data for a simulation of 1000 h at 650 °C

Measurement of the B0-anti-B0-Oscillation Frequency with Inclusive Dilepton Events

The $B^0$-$\bar B^0$ oscillation frequency has been measured with a sample of 23 million \B\bar B pairs collected with the BABAR detector at the PEP-II asymmetric B Factory at SLAC. In this sample, we select events in which both B mesons decay semileptonically and use the charge of the leptons to identify the flavor of each B meson. A simultaneous fit to the decay time difference distributions for opposite- and same-sign dilepton events gives $\Delta m_d = 0.493 \pm 0.012{(stat)}\pm 0.009{(syst)}$ ps$^{-1}$.Comment: 7 pages, 1 figure, submitted to Physical Review Letter